BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW ...

PRESTONWOOD ROCKS!

Off, Off Broadway

The last time Laurie Gayle Stephenson Caliguire was at Prestonwood, I mentioned that next time she visited us I wanted to sing a duet with her. So ... she was here today as our PowerLunch guest speaker/singer.

If you don’t know her by name, I’m sure you’d recognize her amazing Broadway talents. The Dallas native debuted on Broadway in The Secret Garden and is probably best known for her starring role as Christine Daae in Phantom of the Opera.

Anyway, here I am performing off Broadway with a Broadway star.

PCA Lion Commits to Jayhawks

Today I took part in a press conference that was a bit unprecedented. One of our Prestonwood Christian Academy basketball players announced that he was orally committing to the University of Kansas. The thing is ... Zach Peters is only a sophomore. (Click here for a Dallas Morning News blog about it and check out the video of the press conference.)



But Zach's been on the radar of most top basketball programs in the country since he was just 12. And at 6’9 and 240, he was a force in the center for the Lions, who captured the state title. I am proud of Zach, who’s been at PCA since the 5th grade, and his accomplishments on the basketball court. But we are in the business of raising champions for Christ so I’m even more proud of the type of young man Zach is.

Oh, yeah, and I think we’ll be doing this again next year. Julius Randle, our 6’7 power forward, was named one of the country’s top freshmen by ESPN Recruiting and “Newcomer of the Year” by the Dallas Morning News. I’m 6’1 ... Check me out in the photo between the twin towers!

Craig James on Faith, Family and Football

My good friend Craig James was the guest speaker at PowerLunch today. Check out the video and hear Craig, a member of our church for more than 20 years now, talk about faith, family and football...

And click here to read a post about it on a Dallas Morning News college sports blog.

PowerPoint Ministries Celebrates 16th Anniversary

We are excited to be celebrating the 16th Anniversary of PowerPoint Ministries! Please take a moment to view this video commemorating the anniversary and read a guest blog from Scott Seal, Executive Director of PowerPoint Ministries.



It’s such a blessing to celebrate the 16th anniversary of PowerPoint Ministries. I can’t begin to describe how incredible it has been to witness what God has done through PowerPoint over the years. His hand has certainly been on this ministry and there’s no doubt in my mind why that is.

Pastor Graham and Deb wanted a ministry that would take the Gospel message preached in the Prestonwood pulpit beyond the walls of the church. With a love for the Word of God and a heart for people, they leaned on Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Their vision became reality when they purchased airtime on Trinity Broadcasting Network. And, today, PowerPoint is seen or heard weekly by more than 1 million people worldwide. The program, which just recently returned to TBN, is consistently in the top 10 highest-rated programs on that network, which has a viewership of millions.

In essence, PowerPoint has been the vehicle that has faithfully taken the teaching and worship experience at Prestonwood to the masses. We are touched every day by the testimonies that we receive from all over the world. They are a great testament to the countless lives that have been changed through this ministry.

These are just a few of the testimonies that have touched the hearts of the PowerPoint family:

• Thank you for the work of God you have availed yourself to do. As a Christian living in the Muslem state of Libya, it would have been difficult to get such encouragement if not for your effort.
• I listen to PowerPoint via premier.org.uk from home in Boronia Melbourne Victoria Australia, and PowerPoint makes my faith in Jesus Christ stronger.
• Thank you very much for your ministry. Because of your message, I can breathe. God really is talking to me through your powerful messages ... I’m still His loving child.
  

As the world becomes more technologically advanced, the opportunity for sharing the Gospel is greater than ever. Taking the story of salvation preached from the Prestonwood pulpit exponentially to a lost world by using the most effective means possible is truly the heart and mission of PowerPoint Ministries, and we’re looking forward to the next 16 years!

Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award

It was a privilege last night to honor my great friend, Mike Fechner, with the 2nd Annual Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award. Prestonwood Christian Academy and Prestonwood Foundation created this award to honor those who exhibit the servant heart of longtime Prestonwood member and dear friend Zig Ziglar. Last year the honoree was former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

The incredible thing about this dinner event is that it not only honors Zig and the year’s recipient, but it also benefits a wonderful cause, Sponsor-A-Child, PCA’s scholarship program. Since 2005, more than $2.5 million has been given to help provide a Kingdom Education for more than 1,200 students. This past year more than 300 students received tuition assistance, and the goal is to raise $1.6 million for next school year.

The dinner last night was very special as it honored a true servant leader. I’ve known Mike and his wife, Laura, for more than 20 years, since I first arrived here. Mike was a young businessman. I remember training him and Laura in Evangelism Explosion. And even then I saw in Mike a deep passion for evangelism. It wasn’t long before he sold his business and began a ministry to the inner city, H.I.S. BridgeBuilders. What this ministry has become is such a beautiful thing to witness.

For the Fechners, it is truly a family ministry. His parents and brother are involved in San Antonio, and it’s been amazing to see his children—Michael, Daniel, Jonathan and Grace—all grow up through the ministry, loving people and serving them as much as their parents. And when I say “family ministry,” it really expands beyond the Fechners. Our church family has embraced BridgeBuilders as has the Bon Ton community in south Dallas.

As Mike has often said, his recent battle with lung cancer has allowed him to see even more clearly the urgency to reach the hurting and the lost. Mike is not only a great friend and a great servant ... he’s also a great man of God.

Robert A. Graham (1937–2010)

My brother, Bob Graham, is my hero in life and ministry. He unexpectedly but undeniably went to Heaven on March 12. Trusting his entire life in the grace of God in Christ, he has heard the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

I don’t remember life without Bob. Thirteen years my senior, he has always been there. My earliest memories are of my big brother. Bob was a leader from his youth onward. He possessed a captivating smile and expressed genuine love and kindness to all. He lit up a room when he walked in.

Born in 1937, saved as a child, called to preach and pastor as a teenager, he determined to dedicate his entire life to Christ. Bob loved his family. He and his wife of 52 years, Jo Ann, were an amazing team. Jo Ann is the sister I never had. Theirs was a lifetime love story. Their children, Bobby, Katherine and Karen have been blessed to have such great, godly parents. All rise up to call Bob, “blessed.”

Bob was a winsome preacher, a devoted pastor and a loving leader. He shepherded God’s flock and was faithful where God put him. He was pastor of Field Street Baptist Church in Cleburne, Texas for nearly 30 years. He retired a few years ago, but continued to minister and serve our Lord. He has now joined our parents, Tom and Emogene, in the Father’s House. The reception and reunion were surely glorious.

All of us here miss him and grieve his passing but we rejoice that one sweet day we will join Bob at the feet of Jesus and celebrate forever our Savior. 2 Peter 1:7 speaks of the virtue of “brotherly kindness.” When you read this verse, you see a picture of my brother.

I love you, Bob. Your kind smile still lights my life.

Implosions ...

Did you watch the dawn implosion of Texas Stadium yesterday on TV? I’m sure you did if you’re a faithful viewer of PowerPoint on WFAA (Channel 8) on Sunday mornings since our program was pre-empted because of it! (Wasn’t too happy about that!)

Deb and I watched the implosion, which was over in about a minute. I was actually preaching a couple of hours later on the new series, Straight Up, answering the question: “Are All Religions the Same?” And as I watched that landmark stadium with the hole in the roof—a place where historic milestones were recorded ... a place that held so many memories for so many people ... a place that stood as a symbol of football power—so much came to mind in those seconds. The hole in roof became nothing but a hole in ground...reduced to concrete rubble and dust.

And as I thought about the message, I reflected on how Christianity quickly implodes upon itself if Jesus is not who He claimed to be. There is no Christianity if there’s no power of the Gospel—the death, the burial and the Resurrection of Christ! He is the essence of the Christian faith! In other world religions, there is some semblance of the religion without the founder. But without Christ, there is no Christianity ... without Christ, everything crumbles. He set us apart from all other religions!

As dynamite exploded inside Texas Stadium, I also thought about how quickly our lives can implode in the shortest of minutes with just one indiscretion ... one wrong move. Without Christ in our lives, guiding us through the Holy Spirit, without daily reading of Scripture and a true relationship with our Savior, we are left vulnerable and exposed. It’s said that the blast in Irving was felt miles away and the thunderous booms heard even farther (not to mention the many who viewed live in person and on TV and now on YouTube). And that’s how it is in life ... the ripple effects from a mistake are immeasurable.

If you didn’t view the implosion you need check it out ... and consider how quickly things (even the most imposing works of man) can come crashing down. And remember, the foundation of our faith lies in Jesus...our Strong Tower. Religion is man-made but Christianity is God-given in Jesus Christ.

"Straight Up" Message Series

Last weekend, the Preaching Team and I started the message series Straight Up: Bold Biblical Answers to Life’s Most Important Questions. We are tackling some of the toughest issues of our culture, of our times, of the Church. We began with the message “Is There Life After Death?” and this weekend we picked up with “Are All Religions The Same?” We’re going straight up from God’s Word to answer questions that I know we have all struggled with at some point in life.

We have great resources on our website that touch on all the topics we'll be addressing. For this week's message, be sure to check out the powerful video testimony of Afshin Ziafat, a former minister at Prestonwood. Afshin left his Muslim faith as a teenager to follow Christ, and now leads Afshin Ziafat Ministries. But it did not come without a cost.

Listen to his testimony…

Jesus Lives!

He is risen ... He is risen indeed!

I pray you and yours have a wonderful time celebrating our Risen Lord on this day. Jesus lives and He is Lord of all by the power of His Resurrection!

If you do not know Christ, I want you to know Him as your Lord and Savior, to truly understand why He died on the Cross for you. So if you've never prayed a personal prayer of faith, do so in the dawn of this new day. You can have a brand new beginning!

Pray a prayer like this: "Lord Jesus, I believe that You're alive, that You died on the Cross for my sins, that You rose again. Right now, I ask you to come into my life. Forgive me of my sin and change my heart and make me a brand new person."

And promise to live for Him in the power of His Holy Spirit, in the power of His Resurrection ... until He comes back for you.

What an incredible testimony to have on this Resurrection Sunday!

"Tetelestai"--An Immeasurable Word

I am looking forward to our Good Friday services at Prestonwood this evening. I pray that wherever you live, wherever you are, you will make it a priority to attend a service today for this special time of remembrance and reflection on what Christ did for us all on the Cross...

As you know, Jesus spoke seven times from the Cross, with the sixth time found in John 19:30. He cried out: "Tetelestai ... It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

What is this word ... tetelestai? It is the cry, not of a tragic victim, but of a triumphant victor, the cry of a conqueror; not the shout of resignation but the shout of accomplishment! He finished the work the Father sent Him to do.

The great British preacher Charles Spurgeon said we would need all the other words ever spoken or that could ever be spoken to explain this one word. It is an immeasurable word ... a word which shook the world. The entire Gospel is contained in this word, and it expresses--in the most profound moment in human history--the most profound truth in life ... the greatest fact ... the redemption of our souls!

Sunday is coming!

Easter Greeting

Wanted to take a moment in this short video to wish you, our PowerPoint viewers, listeners and supporters all over the world, a very blessed Easter...